It’s a whole new world out there. That said, who could know what “out there” is as we’ve all been indoors for the last three weeks and who knows how much longer.
We don’t have to report the (now incredibly non-breaking) news that Coronavirus aka COVID-19 has completely altered the way the world is working, including the fact that no one is leaving their homes- restaurants, bars, and clubs have closed, and anything not deemed essential has completely ground to a halt. Late night parties, predictably, have not made the “essential,” cut.
While Midtown is as empty of pedestrians and tourists as Birdy’s is empty of hipsters on a Friday night, we community members can be perhaps bored, lonely, and seeking a sense of relief from tedium, repetition, and recycled air (not to mention fear, anxiety, and ILLNESS). Artists, promoters, venue and event-runners are in a whole other world of financial anxiety as the future of their arts, endeavors, and livlihoods remain a murky possibility at an unseen future horizon.
Despite it all, our local venues have been doing everything they can to ease the burden of stress and to make up for our distinct lack of untzes. We’ve gathered a collection of local venues and parties that are offering live streaming options for you to virtually connect with your communities (although you’ll have to provide the strobe lights).
Scroll past these “listings” for ways in which you can help your community in these trying times by donating to the artists and workers who help to make our nightlife in Bushwick and beyond the most vibrant in the city, country, and one of the best in the world.
Nowadays
An early leader in the breadth and scope of their streaming efforts, the east Bushwick dance club and community space is offering seven-days-a-week of live streaming programming from 8pm-12am on their website. Their programming includes DJ sets from locals like Mister Sunday’s Eamon Harkin as well as famed UK star Ben UFO (both scheduled to play this weekend) as well as workshops like Ableton 101 (much like at their irl space).
Each Monday the live streams will be added to their Patreon page where you can watch the past week’s ‘events’ as well as offer up a donation to keep the show on the road (if by road you mean the internet and at home). Nowadays will also be providing direct donation links to the individual artists whose incomes have taken huge hits in the past weeks.
The Good Room
Located a smidge outside of our neighborhood boundaries in nearby Greenpoint, Good Room is hosting artists in their appropriately named Solitude Series in which they are inviting residents and friends to contribute mixes to their Soundcloud page. They’ve got a number of mixes out already from the likes of Finn Jones of their Wednesday night party Love Games as well as from duo Love Tempo who are Day One Good Room residents. Long-time rave scenemaker The Juan MacLean has joined the party so you never know who will be up next.
The club will occasionally be offering livestreams from their repeat party events. They kicked off April with Isolation Seshwa, an online stream from the makers of their vinyl-centric funk party, The Funky Seshwa. Check GoodRoom’s Facebook for any upcoming events.
Donate to Good Room’s staff and artists on their venmo at @goodroombk or on their Paypal.
The Lot Radio
The Lot Radio is continuing its streak of live streaming sets from visionaries near and far. While no longer hosting any guests at their Williamsburg shipping container, they’re including new home streams from local artists big and small (like Yuki Noji and Tygapaw) as well as just about any artist who has visited in the past and loves the space and the radio. The radio will be going almost 24/7 and will feature some restreams of past favorite sets. Streams from Quarantine are now accompanied by either live video of the artists at home or a highly soothing jellyfish video stream. We all need it.
The Lot Radio has a donation page set up to continue their program of bringing consistent radio-style music and streams no matter if the world is in a state of crisis. Send money to their PayPal here.
House of Yes
One of the most immediate and immersive environments in the Bushwick party pantheon, House of Yes supports a vast network of nightlife workers from the usual DJs and bartenders to the furthest reaches performers, drag queens, and theater folk. While difficult to replicate the craziness of a night at HOY, they’re working hard to bring their brand of expression, acceptance, and campy open-mindedness to you in your home.
HOY partymakers will be bringing you Cyber Saturdays: HOY Digital Dance parties with live video of their resident performers dressing up for you from their living rooms paired with sets from their resident DJs like David Kiss. Costumes, lighting, and (of course) glitter are strongly encouraged.
House of Yes also announced HOY-TV™️, a weekly Friday performance hour to be streamed in Instagram Live at 8pm. The show promises to be weird, wild, wonderful and obscene and feature quarantined creativity from HOY’s family of resident performers.
House of Yes has set up a GoFundMe for assistance in supporting their large and creative staff in these times. Donate here.
The Bunker NY
Veteran area promoters continue to post their semi-regular podcasts despite the cancellation of their events both here in NYC and away, like their regularly scheduled party at the Movement Festival in Detroit. Check out their fresh music content as well as past podcasts on their website.
Half Moon BK
The residents and parties organized by the music discovery platfrom Half Moon BK are paused but their streaming radio will still be operating with special streams from their residents and other artists — focusing as usual on both local talent as well as their goals of making dance music black again.
Check their Instagram or website for updates and links. Half Moon BK is accepting donations on their Patreon page.
Jupiter Disco
The small-but-mighty Flushing Ave outpost is stepping up to the plate with semi-regular Digital Dance Parties, accessible through Pleasure Jams (a Brooklyn-based DJ group, doing their part to support different venues about town). The next up is this Friday (April 3) from 9pm to 1am with The Duchess, the local artist whose show Spiritual, Mental, Physical normally runs monthly at Le Bain and on the Half Moon Radio.
Bossa Nova Civic Club
Bossa Nova Civic Club is our favorite bar-slash-almost-never-a-cover club that is, of course, shut down in light of current issues. While not streaming anything per se, they’re offering occasional updates on their Facebook page with links to mixes and streams from friends of the venue and boosts for new projects like the new album from local Jasmine Infiniti.
Avant Gardner
Avant Gardner’s closure means that the most lavish revelers of the area will cease to be able to live their #bestlives at the world-famous outdoor Brooklyn Mirage.
To quell the top name international talent needs of quarantiners, the venue has launched their Replay series (available on their Facebook page or their Youtube and Twitch channels). Check their page for when they’re streaming live (it seems like Saturdays at 8pm will be the date and time) but all past Replays are available on their Youtube channel.
The venue is also linking up with The Recording Academy’s cause MusiCares. The Recording Academy, best known for running The Grammys, is providing aid to musicians. You can donate or request assistance here.
Basement NY
Quiet about any streaming programming up to this point, Basement NY forayed into the livestream with offerings of techno friends worldwide, like the Facebook Live pictured here from Dax J in Berlin (where the apartments are significantly better than ours).
Check in on their Facebook page for any other streaming sessions or opportunities to donate to the staff and space.
Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium was a DIY venue and recording space that, admittedly, closed back in 2017. However, their claim to posterity (aside from the always-rose-tinted NYC nostalgia) is that they recorded every live show that occured in their space between 2009 and 2017 and they’re all available for free on their website. A great way to catch up on local DIY underground history and perhaps find that group you can see when this is all over.
Donation Opportunities
Elsewhere is offering special benefits to those who donate to their employees during the time of COVID-19. While featuring a GoFundMe for their staff, the venue will be offering a number of “prizes” for their donors, including a lifetime pass to Elsewhere events for the highest donor. Other denominations will get you a pitcher of spicy margaritas or Elsewhere pins, all available upon re-opening.
Mood Ring has set up a GoFundMe for their employees and has gift cards available for future purchases upon re-opening and a portion of these proceeds will help pay employees. Venmo donations can be sent to username: $MoodRingNYC
H0L0, home of noise and heavy-electronica, has set up a Venmo account for their employees which can be accessed here.
Other Links
Change.org petition for a federal aids package for Events Industry
Resident Advisor’s Save Our Scene Resource Page
Stay safe and solvent out there and stay raving in here (wherever here may be for you). We’ll be ready and waiting for when all *this* is over.
Header photo courtesy of House of Yes